Pancake Day
Car Crusher Plant Inside the car crusher plant, there is a central track with a metal conveyor belt that drags cars through various processing precedures, none of which look very authentic - a power wash t get rid of surface mud, sonic pulses to shatter windows, buzzsaws to roughly section the vehicles, crushing plates to smash them flat, and finally, a sweltering smelter. Up high, along the eges of the walls, there are walkways, but one would have to be a very good jumper or be able to fly to get to them from the conveyor belts below. Contents: Dee-Kal Grapple Hot Spot Arcee Dreadwind Moonracer Crushing Machine Catechism stands up on one of the balconies, up above the smelter. She has an insufferable smirk on her face, and she exposits, "Now that we have captured Monsieur Crepe," a rather stereotypical looking French chef, who is tied up and surrounded by trans fat shortening and high fructose corn syrup, so he cannot escape, "the foremost pancake expert on planet Earth, the secrets of pancake technology will be OURS!" She throws her hands in the air and laughs for a long moment. "Or the Autobots could show up and walk into our trap. That would be great, too. Kinda hoping for that, really." She rests her hand under her chin, leaning on the balcony and staring at the entrance. Dreadwind is here to oversee the latest and somewhat more horrifyingly, the greatest attempt by Aerospace personnel to get rid of some Autobots permenantly. So far he is not impressed, though that doesn't say much after all he isn't prone to emotional outburst of any but the dreary kind. Dreadwind stands on the balcony and stares blankly at Catechism for a while, "It'll never work, the pancakes will prove to be highly toxic and corrosive i just know it. Oh the Autobots will come and we shall suffer all the more for it." Arcee throws the door of the factory open and strides in, hands defiantly on her hips as she's backlit in the doorway. "Give back the pancake man, Decepticons!" she calls up at the balcony sternly. "Nobody has to get hurt tonight!" Grapple is right behind Arcee, although much less straightforward than she is. Really, he has no idea what was going on; only that it all sounded very, very strange. Still, someone WAS kidnapped, so he decides he may as well go with the 'figure it out later' route. "What do you even want with a chef?" A step behind Arcee, Moonracer, rifle in hand and ready, glances around the facility while the other femme demands the release of the chef and frowns. "Hey guys, why would they bring a chef to a car crushing plant?" Dee-Kal, following somewhere behind with the rest of the team, takes out a notepad and starts scribbling down notes ready for her 'Dynamic Entrances' training. You never know when such things will come in useful. She then stows the notepad back into her hip compartment. Hot Spot follows Arcee inside the plant, a frown on his face. "I'm not going to have you Decepticons kidnap a poor, innocent Terran especially someone iconic." He looks at the two on the balcony, thinking to himself, but he couldn't help but feel this is too easy so far. Combat: Grapple compares his Intelligence to 40: Success! Combat: Hot Spot compares his Intelligence to 40: Success! Combat: Arcee compares her Intelligence to 40: Failure :( Combat: Dee-Kal compares her Agility to 40: Success! The 'ground' under the Autobots' (and Junkion's) feet starts to move! Seems it is actually a wide metal conveyor belt. Behind them, the doors slam shut, ominously. Catechism laughs some more, and she crows, "See, Dreadwind? Autobots! Just like you said!" Okay, so he was predicting Autobots in a bad way. Whatever. Close enough. "Autobots, if you want your precous pancake chef back, you had better survive the ride!" The automated sprayers come online, trying to clean off any entering cars. Those clever can time them just right to avoid them, and those agile have the reflexes to dodge, but... looks like Arcee may be asleep at the wheel right now. Combat: Catechism strikes Arcee with Crushing Machine's Power Wash attack! Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Arcee's Agility. (Crippled) Combat: Arcee compares her Technical to 40: Failure :( Combat: Grapple compares his Technical to 40: Success! Combat: Hot Spot compares his Technical to 40: Success! "Urble!" exclaims Arcee, getting pressure-washed in the face by an unexpected blast of soapy water. "My wax!" she protests, trying to wipe the foam out of her eyes so she can see what's going on. "You villains! You won't get away with this!" Dreadwind finally notices the arrival of an Autobot or two and turns to look as the machine kicks into action, he specifically looks down at Arcee, "Everybody is always hurting, that's life, the only thing that changes is how great the suffering is, coming here is merely going to increase that for everyone. Oh and Hot Spot you already failed to stop us from kidnapping the human, this would be a rescue attempt, you'll fail at that too, all effort is pointless..." Dreadwind ignores the cheery Catechism at least for the moment seemingly transfixed by the oncoming suffering of those below. Combat: Dee-Kal compares her Technical to 40: Success! "..Are you serious?" Is all Grapple manages to sputter before the car wash of doom sets off. It's a bit of a dodging game for a moment -- those power hoses are more powerful than they look -- but he does get out of the way! Huzzah! ..Then, he frowns at the nearby car crushing device. May as well try to take that out before it becomes too much of a problem. So, he aims as carefully as he can at vital components and fires! Combat: Grapple strikes Crushing Machine with his Laser attack! Moonracer has disconnected. Dee-Kal glances left and right at the powerful jets of the automated washer. H'm. She has no qualm with soap - she likes to eat bars of the stuff - but she already *had* a wash today (and she cleaned behind her aurals, too!). The young Junkette could take to the air and fly over, but instead she walks, stops, walks, stops, and walks again. Simples! ^-^ The junior Protectojunk joins Grapple and draws out her triblaster too, for just in case. "Hm.. I thought this was a trap." Hot Spot notices the imcoming auotmated sprayers and quickly searches for something to cover him. Ah! he finds a old, rusty car door hanging at the edge of the conveyor belt he can use as a shield. Taking the door, he was able to stop the water firing at jet-speed from hitting him. "That was easy enough... Oh boy," replies Hot Spot as he sees the crushing machine getting closer and closer to him. "If we don't stop this crushing machine, then we will be flat as pancakes!" He takes out his pistol from his back, aims at his target, the machine, and shoots. Combat: Hot Spot misses Crushing Machine with his Pistol attack! Dee-Kal watches her commanding officer take a shot at the crushing machine, listening to his words. Taking the 'we' as an indirect command she lifts her triblaster. "Ryokai!" And she too fires. Combat: Dee-Kal strikes Crushing Machine with her Laser Setting (Laser) attack! Combat: Grapple compares his Intelligence to 50: Success! Combat: Hot Spot compares his Intelligence to 50: Failure :( Combat: Grapple compares his Technical to 50: Success! Combat: Dee-Kal compares her Intelligence to 50: Failure :( Combat: Dee-Kal compares her Technical to 50: Success! Combat: Arcee compares her Agility to 50: Success! Combat: Arcee compares her Technical to 50: Success! Combat: Hot Spot compares his Technical to 50: Failure :( The next peril of the crushing machine is a sonic-based window-breaker, intended to shatter windows into manageable little bits, but given the Decepticons about, these might shatter more than just windows! The sonics come in pulses, and they're predictable. A quick mind at math can find the null spots, and someone who is just plain quick can get out of the way before the resonance gets too bad. Some, however, are not so lucky. Catechism comments to Dreadwind, "Look, it ruined Arcee's wax job! Yeeees. My plan is working!" At least she isn't using a giant chess board again. Combat: Catechism misses Hot Spot with Crushing Machine's Sonic Window Shattering Area attack! Combat: Catechism strikes Dee-Kal with Crushing Machine's Sonic Window Shattering Area attack! Dreadwind watches despondantly as the Bots and Junkion start to run the gauntlet of ultimate pancakination, "Catechism it was always a matter of when they would arrive not if, they always come running whenever we do anything, it's so depressingly predicatable... I assume that they're shooting at the most vital parts which will cause a catastrophic feedback destroying everything... and maiming the unfortunate survivors. I am sure Darkwing will be over joyed at Arcee's suffering..." Dreadwind looks back at the chef, "Your suffering will end so very soon..." "Just because it's a trap doesn't mean we don't still need to be here to do the right thing!" Arcee points out, getting the foam out of her eyes in time to leap up and grab onto one of the arms of the machine as it swings overhead. With a swift motion she vaults over the sonic beams, draws her blaster and triggers a plasma shot towards one of the harmonic resonator chambers before landing deftly on the other side of the array! Combat: Arcee sets her defense level to Fearless. Combat: Arcee strikes Crushing Machine with her Blaster attack! Well, now there's fairly painful and highly annoying sonic pulses. Wonderful. Grapple frowns deeply, more than a little worried at just how close they were getting to the car crushing machine -- why was the -entire floor- a conveyor belt? -- but quickly spots the timing of the pulses enough to move against it and prevent his frame from, well, breaking apart. "This is all completely pointless!" Yelled at the Decepticons. He then promptly fires at the crushing machine again. Combat: Grapple misses Crushing Machine with his Laser attack! "Dang it, I missed. Don't give up! Keep fighting the machine everyone!" Hot Spot didn't realize, however, in time he is close to the sonic beams, just barely 3 meters away. His pistol being the first to enter the sonic pulses explodes into many pieces, but Hot Spot was luckily enough to duck underneath with a quick reaction. He could've easily dodged the beams with ease and his weapon saved if he saw them earlier, but it caught him in a surprise. After the beams are behind him, Hot Spot stands back up and looks at the two Decepticons. "It looks like your plan isn't working all too well as we are getting closer and closer to you." Like most Junks, Deek has a dislike of anything showroom-finished, but on the other hand, she's quite fond of her plating *staying* in the places she put 'em. The sonic pulses would loosen her chest plating if she didn't grab at it smartly. Unfortunately... some of her anterior plating clatters to the ground. GLowering hotly at anyone w ho dares to make a comment, the little Junkion grabs up the fallen pieces of armour and relatches them into place. Still, she take it philosophically; Crosshairs or Mom can always help her to reinforce the weak points later on... if she survives the embarrassment. Combat: Dee-Kal takes extra time to steady herself. Pass Combat: Hot Spot compares his Intelligence to 60: Failure :( Combat: Hot Spot compares his Technical to 60: Failure :( Combat: Grapple compares his Intelligence to 60: Failure :( Combat: Grapple compares his Technical to 60: Success! Combat: Arcee compares her Agility to 60: Failure :( Combat: Arcee compares her Technical to 60: Failure :( Combat: Dee-Kal compares her Agility to 60: Failure :( Combat: Dee-Kal compares her Technical to 60: Success! Catechism gives Dreadwind an odd look, and she asks, "What, does Darkwing have a special hate-on for Arcee?" The chef cowers a bit as Dreadwind looks at him - Dreadwind is creepy! Worse than hydrogenated oils, that Decepticon. The machine itself is looking a bit worse for the wear, thanks to skillful attacks by the Autobots, but the conveyor belt keeps chugging along, and now gigantic saw-blades snap out, rotating with whining, annoying buzz, clearly intended to roughly chop cars into more manageable pieces. They swing at the Autobots like pendulums, moving in rhythmic patterns. However, the rhythm seems to throw most of the Autobots! Combat: Catechism strikes Hot Spot with Crushing Machine's Buzzsaws Area attack! Combat: Catechism misses Grapple with Crushing Machine's Buzzsaws Area attack! Combat: Catechism strikes Arcee with Crushing Machine's Buzzsaws Area attack! Combat: Catechism misses Dee-Kal with Crushing Machine's Buzzsaws Area attack! Dreadwind shakes his head once as the so called good guys continue to press on, in his world there are but two types of beings the lucky and the alive, "You are correct Grapple, everything is pointless, there is no need to push forwards all that awaits you is more pain, more suffering. It is far better to lie still and await the end, the end that comes for us all.... see even the Junkion succumbs and is falling apart." Dreadwind sighs, "Not particularly Catechism, he just enjoys seeing others suffer, he's depressingly cheery that way." It's too bad Darkwing is missing this, because Arcee takes a buzzsaw across the shoulder! "Ouch!" she cries, ducking away to guard her head from another spinning blade. "This thing means business!" "That really isn't --" Grapple mumbles at Dreadwind's reply, only to get cut off -- punnery! -- as a saw blades suddenly swings in his direction. He barely dodges the first one; the second one actually scrapes the top of his head. From there, it becomes a bit easier so spot the rythmic patterns. Although, he's now very much on edge. "..Primus." Better stop that machine quick, then, before any more surprises come out; this time, he hefts out his rifle. Combat: Grapple strikes Crushing Machine with his Arc-Welder Rifle attack! Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Crushing Machine's Agility. (Crippled) Moonracer has connected. Then again, we are getting closer and closer to the crushing part of the machine, Hot Spot thought. He reaches his back with his right hand and pulls out his one cannon. But upon pulling it out, the saw-blades came in by surprise and sawed the weapon in half, destroying it completely. "Shoot, now saw-blades!" exclaims Hot Spot as he discards the other half of the cannon. Alright, just a jump here - Hot Spot jumps over the first one - and another Buzz! The blade strikes Hot Spot in his chest, but leaving only a small, nasty cut. Good thing his armor was tough enough or else the cut would have been worse. Dee-Kal takes a few seconds grousing and muttering in Japanese and Smurf to herself as she refits her posterior panelling back the way it should go. While she's down there, she hears a whiz overhead. And then another. EEP-! Buzzsaws, and not the decepticon birdie-flying sort! Not that *him* swinging and buzzing overhead would have been much better, she reflects, staying down and ducking a little lower. She then hears Hot Spot call out "Shoot!" Rising up smartly - and thankfully just after the last buzzsaw has passed harmlessly overhead - the little Junkion fires her sidearm at the crusher as 'ordered'! Combat: Dee-Kal strikes Crushing Machine with her Laser Setting (Laser) attack! Well, wasn't /this/ fun. Luckily, Moonracer was moving a little slower than the rest, backpedaling a bit to stay at the back. So when the saw blades come swiping out at the group, the femme sharpshooter got missed, and fell into the rhythm of the pendulum blades, avoiding them. "Anyone else worried what's next?" Combat: Arcee compares her Agility to 70: Failure :( Combat: Arcee compares her Technical to 70: Success! Combat: Hot Spot compares his Intelligence to 70: Success! Combat: Grapple compares his Technical to 70: Success! Combat: Moonracer compares her Agility to 70: Success! Combat: Hot Spot compares his Technical to 70: Failure :( Combat: Grapple compares his Intelligence to 70: Success! Combat: Moonracer compares her Technical to 70: Failure :( Arcee ducks low and moves fast, firing her blaster at any power couplings or conduits that present themselves as she runs along the course of the conveyor, trying to dash through the next gauntlet before it can bring itself to bear on her accurately. Combat: Arcee sets her defense level to Protected. Combat: Arcee misses Crushing Machine with her Blaster attack! -6 Combat: Dee-Kal compares her Agility to 70: Failure :( Combat: Dee-Kal compares her Technical to 70: Success! Hot Spot is thinking correctly - abruptly, the walls and ceiling start closing in on the Autobots, in the trough that they are in. The walls smash together, then the ceiling and floor. Time it just right, and it is possible to get through safely. Otherwise... Catechism booms down from her balcony, "And now, you see the true danger of Pancake Day! You might just become one!" She shrugs and asks Dreadwind, "What IS Darkwing doing right now, anyway? You got him doing all your paperwork?" That is what she would do. Smoke is rising from the machine, and it seems very overtaxed, thanks to the Autobots seeking out its weak points. Combat: Catechism strikes Arcee with Crushing Machine's Crushing Plates Area attack! Combat: Catechism misses Dee-Kal with Crushing Machine's Crushing Plates Area attack! Dreadwind watches as the struggle to continue living carries on, he would probably have given up at trying to open the door but for some reason others always seem to want to struggle on toward greater suffering. "Such a waste, they struggle ever onwards to an end that can only be dead. It would have been so easy for them to just turn around and leave." Dreadwind sighs heavily everyone always worries about Darkwing and no one ever cares what he is doing, "He's probably out torturing some innocent children, all his paperwork is in my office, the mountain of effort grows ever higher." It would seem that nearly all the work is done by Dreadwind's partner Hi-Test, probably why he isn't here enjoying the evil. Redshift has arrived. Colonel Nate Briar says, "This is Briar and I'm looking for a bit of good news for today." Corporal Noah Wolfe says, "Well, I finally took off the bandages?" Foxfire says, "Does 'not being taken over by foxes' count as good news?" Corporal Noah Wolfe says, "That's even better news." Colonel Nate Briar says, "Not having to deal with a fox is even better news as long as Foxfire still comes over to play once a month..." Moonracer stays near the back of the group, and raises her rifle to fire at the machine, but the femme has no clue where to shoot it to make it stop, so she doesn't waste a shot. When the walls and ceiling start their cycles of closing, crushing whatever's in it's path, she frowns, and watches Arcee get caught...."ARCEE!" Watching the timing carefully, she bolts through the deadly crushing walls. Foxfire giggles. Corporal Noah Wolfe says, "I got all the dings hammered out of my Talon and it's been cleared for use. Other than those two things, I've got nothin..." Colonel Nate Briar says, "I am watching Valkyrie and pondering ordering some food." And now the walls were moving. Wonderful. "Who built this place and why is this even an option?!" One would think only a small section of the room would crush itself, not this large a portion. So many violated safety laws, most likely. Now the architect is in something of a frenzy, so he tries to time the crushing walls enough to run through -- and notices Arcee fall behind. From there, he starts firing madly at the main console of the machine that he was really, really starting to dislike. (That was Grapple.) Arcee is caught by her heel, an everpresent danger of having high heels built into one's feet! "It's okay! Stay focussed on the mission! Get that human to safety and take out the Decepticons!" she calls back to Moonracer, limping along behind with one wrecked foot. Corporal Noah Wolfe says, "Valkyrie?" Combat: Grapple strikes Crushing Machine with his Laser attack! Arcee has disconnected. Colonel Nate Briar says, "It's some movie about an amputated scientologist trying to kill Adolf Hitler." "Alright, we got to outrun and dodge the crushing walls and ceiling! No Autobot pancakes today!" Hot Spot exclaims as he starts charging through the machine. Walls start coming and Hot Spot keeps on running. Running and dodging, he is almost there at the end. I'm almost there, just got to keep on running, he thought. He leaps forward and lands on his stomach, avoiding the last of the crushing walls. "That was a bit too close.. but the others!" He instantly jumps back up from the ground and turns around, helplessly looking back at his comrades, feeling worried. I got to go help them, he thought instantly, running back into the machine before seeing Arcee getting caught by the crushing walls. Corporal Noah Wolfe says, "Freaky. Never studied world war two." Foxfire says, "Fascinating..." Dee-Kal follows closely after Hot Spot, following... if not quite IN his footsteps, as close as she can get. Since he was kind enough to provide the route to follow, she follows it up with another strike at the Crushing Machine, the way he would want. This time she sets her triblaster round and up a notch, seeing smoke rising from the massive engine. Let's see how those Septics like a taste of their own sonic medicine! Besides, a human chef is in need of rescuing - and she hasn't earned her smurf scout cookery badge yet! Combat: Dee-Kal strikes Crushing Machine with Crushing Machine's Sonic Window Shattering attack! Colonel Nate Briar says, "Oh, the actor was a scientologist and he played an amputated Nazi. Got it." Corporal Noah Wolfe says, "Scien-whoitzs?" Foxfire says, "I've heard of those scientologist people. They're scary!" Corporal Noah Wolfe says, "Hold on, googling it.....oooh, those guys." Combat: Hot Spot compares his Intelligence to 80: Success! Combat: Hot Spot compares his Technical to 80: Success! Combat: Moonracer compares her Agility to 80: Success! Combat: Moonracer compares her Technical to 80: Failure :( Combat: Grapple compares his Intelligence to 80: Success! Combat: Grapple compares his Technical to 80: Success! Combat: Dee-Kal compares her Intelligence to 80: Failure :( Combat: Dee-Kal compares her Technical to 80: Failure :( The Autobots are almost through the gauntlet, through valiant Arcee is laid low by her taste in fashion. There is just one last trick in this trap: the smelter at the end of the line. Molten metal sluggishly sloshes around, and splurts come erratically, sending blobs of red-hot liquid metal into the air. The Autobots might be able to jump it, to the ladder on the other side, so they can climb to the balcony. However, metal could go flying at any time, making it perilous. Catechism looks interested by what Dreadwind has to says, and she asks, "So you just have your little squishy do all the boring stuff? Neat. Best advertisement for one I've heard yet." She looks back down and opines, "I hope they catch on fire. Even the firetruck." Combat: Catechism strikes Dee-Kal with Crushing Machine's Smelter attack! Combat: Grapple compares his Intelligence to 100: Failure :( Dreadwind shows no sign of joy or sorrow as Arcee falls foul of yet another devious death dealing part of the machine but he turns his attention to the more pressing concern of the architect, "Give up Grapple, the design of this building is beyond even you. The time of you and your constructions have long passed, now there are only empty shells and burned out remains of the things you once created. You too will join them before long, a burnt out shell of an Autobot with no reason to continue..." Dreadwind sighs and doesn't even try to make it sound like he is a force to be reckoned with, such a strange leader figure, "No, he actually wants to do it, even though anything we accomplish is completely pointless." Grapple never wants to see another car crushing plant ever again, after this. Why did they even have a smelter? He had been under the impression they had 'trash yards' for such things. Oh, hey, there appeared to be a ladder. Well, that made this bit easier. He's halfway up before he hears Dreadwind's words. By the time he gets to the top of the ladder, he's actually twitching in rare fury. "..How DARE you." Oh, no one insulted his creations! With that, he hefts his rifle up again and -- making a rather dramatic pose in the process -- shoots at the blasted machine. He hopes to make a nice explosion. Combat: Grapple strikes Crushing Machine with his Arc-Welder Rifle attack! Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Crushing Machine's Agility. (Crippled) A smelter? How in the world were they supposed to get past /that/?! Moonracer watches it as she approaches, and shakes her head. That was gonna be a nice jump, but she thought she could make it. The hard part was going to be not getting melted by the spewing liquid metal. Oh well, no guts, no glory, right? So she took off at a run and leapt into the air......And cleared the smelter completely?! Woo! Unscathed by the machine, luckily and thanks to her agility, the femme jumped onto the ladder and scrambled up. "Come on guys! It's not too bad a jump, and we still have Decepticons to chase off and a human to rescue!" Once at the top, Moonracer watches Grapple shoot at the machine again, and smirks, waiting for the inevitable explosion before turning on Dreadwind and Catechism. Dee-Kal says, "Ayaa--!" and is not having a good armour day. It's bad enough that sonic pulses loosen and drop the most embarrassing panels on her frame, but now great honking blobs of molten metal singe her paintwork and sting her chassis. She shoots Moonracer a scowl as she climbs up the ladder, a slightly crispy paint smell tailing the young Junkette. "Ohh - *urusai*..." Reaching the group he had outrun, Hot Spot checked Arcee's foot. "Hm.. good thing it was her foot and not half of her body. I can easily repair this back at base." Before long, he Hot Spot looks forward and notices the smelter. Hmph, what a dirty way to deal your opponents. Oh wait, they are the Decepticons. Luckily, there was a ladder just some distance away from the edge, but the jump is still dangerous. He lets his Grapple and Moonracer jump over the smelter first before he does. Good, they were able to jump over the molten lava without any trouble, now it is my turn! He runs down the conveyor belt and leaps forward over the lava. He just barely grabs the ladder with only his right hand. With enough force and power, he was able to climb the ladder with the load and reach the balcony. The Protectobot Leader glares at the two Decepticons, with an angry expression. "You thought you can get away with such cheap, non-valor tactics? How unworthy of you!" And with that, he takes out his cannon and fires at the machine. Redshift has disconnected. Combat: Hot Spot strikes Crushing Machine with his Fireball Cannon attack! -2 Catechism looks at Dreadwind as the Autobots foil her plan by jumping over the smelter and only the Junkion is actually set on fire. She looks a bit gobsmacked, and she hedges, "Uh... sir. Well. We crushed Arcee's foot!" Her faces screws around a bit. "...orders?" And then the crushing machine explodes, showering the inside of the pant with debris! Catechism throws up an arm to stop it from hitting her face and curses, "Blast!" Colonel Nate Briar says, "It's like watching a movie with Nick Fury." Colonel Nate Briar says, "As a Nazi." Foxfire says, "Who's Nick Fury?" Dreadwind shakes his head at Grapple's fury, there is no malice in Dreadwind he merely speaks the truth of existence, but often that is not what others want to hear after all who wants to think that eventually all their companions will die and so will they and everything they have ever done will be forgotten along with them? The only thing to continue will be the suffering of those that have yet to fall. "So you too deny the truth and i thought you were going to be my friend... no one can escape the inevitable demise and destruction of everything and everyone that you hold dear. One suffering that i have at least been spared, for i have no one..." Dreadwind died inside a long time ago, in him there is only the swirling darkness that constantly threatens to drag him into motionless oblivion. Then Catechism asks for orders, something that he has yet had to do on his own, "I knew it wouldn't work, it is pointless to continue fighting but you'll probably want to, deluded warriors always do something about it being their purpose, like anything has a purpose except to create more suffering." With that somewhat unhelpful command Dreadwind slowly makes for the emergency escape hatch built into the roof always handy for the flight capable Decepticons. Combat: Dreadwind begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Moonracer Well, now that the machine was well and truly exploded -- and all Grapple had to do was duck behind the smelter, holding on to the ladder, to avoid the debris --, they could actually get this bizarre mission over with. "Is it possible for someone to get that poor chef down from.." Where was that chef? Ah. "..There. Please." Then, he climbs back up the ladder and absolutely GLARES at the Decepticons. Mostly at Dreadwind. "My buildings are burnt-out shells, are they?" Then, he fires on the retreating Dreadwind. Combat: Grapple strikes Dreadwind with his Laser attack! There was a small quake from the machine's explosion and debris falling from the ceiling. Some of the debris lands on the balcony, but nothing too big. Dreadwind is retreating and all is left is Catechism. Placing his cannon back on his back and reaching for a pistol, Hot Spot points the pistol at Catechism, his finger on the trigger. "It seems it is a checkmate, Catechism. You have no orders, you have no one to help you, and you are outmached." He aims and fires at the Decepticon. Combat: Hot Spot misses Catechism with his Pistol attack! -1 Combat: Hot Spot (Hot Spot) used "Pistol": A Level 0 RANGED attack. Ah..? Dee-Kal stops scowling and refocuses. The human chef! Of course! (and just when her player got the DVD of Ratatouille from the shops, too! ^-^ ) The young Protectojunk flexes her wings and then realises, why didn't she just *fly* over the course and nab the chef that way..? She sighs. Oh, well. Flying over now, she hovers before the chef, who is presumably on a platform somewhere so he can't escape easily and greets the chef. "Allo monsieur... aimez-vous rentrer a la maison?" she inquires politely as she produces a little cutting device from her wrist pods and proceeds to cut through his bonds. Catechism flattens herself against the crusher facility's wall, and she throws her head back and laughs, "Outmatched, Hot Spot? Hardly." She smirks, her spirit unflagged, desite her loss today. "So take your precious purveyor of pancakes! You haven't seen the last of AEROSPACE." That said, she blasts a hole in the wall and takes off, to get the heck away from this failure. Monsieur Crepe seems very scared, rattled by all he has been through. He just replies to Dee-Kal quietly, sounding weak, "Sil vous plait." Combat: Catechism begins retreating, leaving herself vulnerable to parting shots from Moonracer, Hot Spot, and Dreadwind Grapple huffs a little, but the parting -- failed -- shot seems to have calmed him. The architect looks back to Dee-Kal. "Is the chef all right?" From there, he starts making his way down the ladder. Who's going to make THIS report, he wonders? Dreadwind makes his slow escape but for some reason gets noticed for once, he might even get ever so slightly happy about the fact that the Autobots thought he was worthy of attention. The miniscule feeling is soon quashed as he is blasted in the leg, which will probably cause him to limp painfully for days, well he would limp if he actually bothers to do anything during the next few days. "Typical..." Dee-Kal works carefully so as not to harm the human captive in any way, although his wilted reaction to her query suggests that he is pretty maxed out on the fear and apprehension factor. Her tone turns as gentle as her cutting. "Ohh, je suis desole que vous ayez ete traite mal," she tells him sincerely. "..veuillez ne pas penser que tous les Transformers sont comme ceci..." Hot Spot shakes his head at Catechism and lowers his weapon. He doesn't seem all that interested in a parting shot, but wonders if the Terran is fine. The humans are more important to him than any Decepticon. His weapon put back away, Hot Spot turns to Dee-Kal. "How is he?" he approaches further, "Is he doing alright? Anything he needs?" Grapple stares blankly, for a moment, at Dee-Kal. He had no idea what she was saying. "Dee-Kal? Is he all right?" Moonracer watched the other Decepticon running away, and started to aim, then shook her head. Why waste the energon for another shot? Letting her rifle return home to it's little subspace niche, she turns and watches the others, not bothering to inquire after the health and well-being of the chef, since everyone else has already done that for her. The young Junkette removes the bonds and even rubs his wrists in her fingertips. "Hai Grapple-sama, he is unharmed. But very wary and tired, I think... " She smiles kindly at the chef. "Vous n'etes pas casse. Encore, je suis desole..." Releasing his hands, the little Junkion then presents both of her own linked together. "A moi, sil vous plait..?" she invites. The chef seems to have calmed down a little, and he seems to be willing to let the Autobots take him home, away from the horrors of trans fats and high fructose corn syrup. Catechism just runs away, noting that the Autobots seem to hate Dreadwind more than her, even though she was the one who stuck them on an evil conveyor belt. Strange. Dee-Kal lifts Monsieur Crepe delicately into her arms and airlifts him to safety.